No license, no problem driving for this teen

15-year-old competes at Kalamazoo Speedway.

15-year-old competes at Kalamazoo Speedway.

September 18, 2006|PAM SHEBEST Kalamazoo Gazette

KALAMAZOO (AP) -- Jordan Dahlke, who isn't old enough to have a driver's license, is logging plenty of seat time at the Kalamazoo Speedway each week. Jordan turned 15 in June. He competes in the pure stock class, a jump from the motorcycles he used to race. Last year, speedway owner Gary Howe lowered the racing age from 16 to 14 for the pure stock division, making Kalamazoo one of the few tracks to offer a class for teens too young to obtain their driver's licenses. "We had to get special permission from our insurance company," Howe said. "But we wanted to give the young guns a chance to race." The pure stocks division is an entry-level or low-budget class, perfect for young teens, Howe said. Dahlke's dad, Larry, raced for years but gave up his own driving six years ago. "I quit when Jordan started doing the bikes," Larry Dahlke said. "We just couldn't do both, so we went off and did the bike racing." The transition from motorcycles to cars "was kind of weird," Jordan said. "It was a little different, but not bad. The hardest part was buckling in. I'm not used to seat belts (after racing bikes)." Racing before owning a driver's license has its benefits, Larry Dahlke said. "Jordan's actually doing driver's training right now," he said. "I think the seat time here is paying off for driver's training because for most kids, that's the first time they get in the car. "I think just (racing) and knowing what happens when you crash might slow you down on the road. I think race car drivers realize what happens when you get in a wreck -- plus it's always a lot of work fixing the car." As a veteran racer, Larry Dahlke doesn't worry much about his son on the track. "I know he's going to make the rookie mistakes," he said. "I just hope he don't tear somebody else up in his learning process." Jordan, in the running for Kalamazoo Speedway rookie of the year honors, has won a couple of heat races and his best feature finish is second. He's also competed in three enduro races, a cross between a demolition derby and an auto race, finishing 12th, 17th and 21st in a field of about 160 cars. "He hopped in the enduro cars and is in the top five in points so far," Howe said. "He seems to be a natural. He's a great kid who has great family support." Jordan also works on the car. "I get home and he's got it unloaded," his dad said. "He's got it on the hoist and is working on it. That's all part of the deal. "There's no free rides here. Part of the deal with the bikes and the car is keep the grades up or the program will end. But we don't have a problem with that."